Floods have killed 12 people in Thailand, while heavy rains continued to ravage the country's south. The flooding, which is roof-high in some areas, affected more than 700,000 people since it started a week ago, Thailand's interior ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
"We are coordinating relevant agencies to provide the necessities for the people affected by the flooding," Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha told reporters.
Neighbouring Malaysia was also hit by severe flooding earlier this week, with thousands stranded in relief centres in two northeastern states. By Saturday, the number of evacuees had dropped as weather conditions improved and authorities forecast less rainfall over the weekend.
However, there are two more days of downpour in Thailand, according to the Meteorological Department, which also warned of flash floods in eight of the hardest-hit provinces.
The rain is unusually strong for this time of year in Thailand, which normally sees a three-month long stretch of relatively dry and cool weather from November through to January.
It is high season for tourists who flock to the kingdom's island resorts, powering a crucial sector of the economy.
But the deluge has already disrupted beach holidays in several traveller hotspots, including the popular islands of Samui and Phangan.
Hundreds of tourists have had their flights delayed, while train and bus services on the mainland have also been suspended in flood-hit areas.
Yet some travellers are refusing to let the storm stop the fun, with photos circulating on social media of tourists coasting through flooded streets on pool floats.
"Some tourists are enjoying the flooding, they're taking pictures and going swimming," said Nongyao Jirundorn, a tourism official on Samui island.
